Stranahan’s Distillery Tour

I was treated to an impromptu tour of Stranahan’s Distillery. Those that don’t know, Stranahan’s Distillery is a local Colorado whiskey distiller that has made its mark on the state. This small batch, handcrafted, single malt whiskey has a distinctive taste and an even more distinctive origin story.

Take a tour with me through the distillery, and discover what makes this brand experience special.

The lobby of the distillery is tastefully adorned with wood, antlers, swag, leather, and more wood. You will grow hair on your chest just by hanging out there.

I opted to skip the swag, but enjoyed the intentional design and rugged-but-refined mountain cabin feel to it. By the time the tour started I was ready to settle in and appreciate some high quality whiskey tasting.

…On to where the real work happens….

The distillery was clean, organized, and run like a science lab. I appreciated the intentional design of the entire building. The workflow of loading and unloading the grains, the tanks, the barrels, and all of the logistics were cornerstones of the floorplan. It’s easy to appreciate the intentionality of the space.

For me, one of the highlights were the copper kettles. Steampunk, all the way.

There were barrels everywhere. These are made of white oak, hand labeled, stacked, and racked in this perfect way. I couldn’t help but feel like a whiskey librarian wandering through these cellars.

Craftsmanship is hard work. I feel I caught these guys in a rare moment of rest.

The tasting room carried the rustic theme through and capped off the tour. Wood, copper, dim lighting, and mountain cabin paraphanelia to complete the effect. Here we tasted a few different batches of the whiskey they are famous for and then wandered back into the lobby to contemplate a swag purchase I had put off before the tour. One of the great benefits of the tour is that one can pick up a custom bottle of Stranahan’s hand-labeled and hand-numbered, making it one-of-a-kind. It’s only available straight from the distillery and nowhere else.

Let it be known I was never a big whiskey drinker. The only bottle I had at the house came from Loch Hyne, which is another story altogether. However, after this tour I came away with a much greater appreciation for whiskey and the craftsmanship that if came from. Could I leave the distillery without a bottle? Certainly not.